Divergence of metabolites in three phylogenetically close Monascus species (M. pilosus, M. ruber, and M. purpureus) based on secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters

Species of the genus Monascus are considered to be economically important and have been widely used in the production of yellow and red food colorants. In particular, three Monascus species, namely, M. pilosus, M. purpureus, and M. ruber, are used for food fermentation in the cuisine of East Asian countries such as China, Japan, and Korea.